Blemishes

[2bears]

I am fairly new to casting. I started casting about a year casting .38 -.357 cal bullets. I haven't quite caught on to the lubing part yet. Anyway to the question. I have been casting this week .38 - .357 and .30 cal 130 grain M1 carbine - 7.62 bullets. Everthing seems to be coming out OK except on one side of some of the bullets there seems to be what I would call slight blemishes on one side of the bullet on the upper half, past the lube grooves, I don't think it is frosted on only part of the bullet, my best guess is that it may be where the bullet layed on the towel while cooling? Also there seem to be some..... for a lack of a better word little blackheads or freckles. Under a magnifying glass they appear to be slight pin prick like holes that are barely under the surface. By feel non of these blemishes can be felt and are barely visible except under magnification or a very close up shot with a camera. Once I send in my $20 I will be abl to send a few photos. Are any of these so called blemishes going to mess with anything or should I lube & size a few load them and see what happens.

[tomme boy]

Register on "PhotoBucket" it is a free photo hosting site. Then you can put the pics on here

[popper]

I sometimes get 'dirty' looking boolits on one side from the damp towel. Lube & shoot. Sizing should remove evidence of them if any on the drive bands. If they are dropped before solid you will get some funky looking surface, depending on the mould. I see it sometimes on rifle boolits, just above the front band. Mould looses heat the slowest there, slow down before dropping a bit solves the problem.

[Yodogsandman]

Welcome to the site 2bears! That's a real good question for your first thread!

Without photos it's hard to tell for sure what you have. I get something like those when my mold or my alloy is running too hot. I turn down the heat a bit and leave the mold open for a few seconds between casts to cool and it goes away. Sometimes I blow on the mold but, you could also use a fan. Impurities rise in the lead within the mold prior to the inside surface solidifying. Using just a little cooler mold and alloy will prevent it. This works for me but, I've read that some guys use two molds and alternate so they cool a little between casts.

For photos, I just upload from my camera to "my pictures" folder on my computer. I click on "go advanced" below the post (bottom right side below). Click on "manage attachments". When it comes up click on "add files" and click "browse". Pick the photo from my pictures folder and download to the "File Upload Manager" folder. Your new photo will show up below the attachment bar when it's done downloading and then just click "done". Your photo will be included in your post.

[2bears]

How do I find photobucket, I am new to this forum stuff. Is it on this site or what?

[tomme boy]

Google it and then join. Different site. Very easy. You down load them onto the photobucket site then link them to this one. Or whatever other site you want.

[2bears]

[2bears]

Above are the blemishes I am talking about. Like I said you cannot feel them, and besides just looking bad I don't think they will effect anything, I hope? I will try using a smoother surface on my towel like a t-shirt that has a better surface than a Terry cLothian towel. Maybe that will work.

[waco]

Maybe get the mold a little hotter. Add a little tin to your alloy. Make sure mold is TOTALLY free of oil and grease.

[2bears]

Thanks Waco, it was a brand new mold and did have oil on it. I thought I cleaned it well with hot soapy water, then smoked it real good. But one of my thoughts was that I may not have gotten all the oil off well enough, I think I will get some denatured alcohol for cleaning my molds.

[popper]

Non-clorinated brake cleaner & use synthetic 2 stroke or AC oil on the sprue bolts. I'd size then shoot the ones that disappear. I don't smoke my moulds. Also make sure your alloy is CLEAN. Fill-out looks to be lacking, hotter mould or add some tin. L.G. edges are not sharp. Just use a damp towel to dump on, not wet.

[canyon-ghost]

Looks like the mold isn't entirely hot enough with those lines at the lube groove. Might also make sure to get all the ash and crud out of your alloy pot. I've had very little trouble with parafin wax as flux (albeit the foot-high orange flames are a bit dicey, lol).

[bedbugbilly]

Can't say for sure if the towel is part of the problem or not but years ago, I used to drop on to a towel (terrycloth) and would sometimes get the same look (they were 58 cal. minie balls). I switched to a finely woven fabric and that took care of the problem I was having. Now, I have a couple of yards of tight woven 100% cotton denim that I fold up and drop on - the folds act as a cushion and all of my cast are bright and shiny. I've always just dropped and on to the dry cloth and let air cool. It may not be the towel but try a couple of different types of cloth and see. Just make sure that if you try the tee shirt material there isn't any polyester in it - not all tee shirts are 100% cotton.

[Echo]

If I knew what I was talking about, I would say that your alloy is dirty, perhaps picking up crud in the furnace itself. Do you use your furnace to render your ww's, or other alloy? I did, then found out that wasn't a very good idea, and have used a turkey fryer and dutch oven ever since. Makes the base stuff cleaner when placed in the furnace...

[mac1911]

I had a wrinkle in my 314299 mold that drove me nuts. Its the only mold that I had issues with as far as consistent blems. I cleaned it and clean it, scubbed with brushes,break cleaner, 90% alcohol nail polish remover soap and water over and over. Then one day after about 500 castings it went away? weird

[Yodogsandman]

After seeing your boolit, it's not from being over heated. A new mold will have manufacturing oils imbedded in the metal that needs to be cleaned out. Good old soap and hot water with an old toothbrush is fine. A good mold doesn't need to be smoked. That's a last resort type thing. The carbon can block your vent lines in the mold. Heat your mold up more by casting as many and as fast as you can for a bit. Don't look at them at all during that time. You need more heat. You could also pre-heat your mold on a hot plate. It sometimes takes a few casting sessions with a new mold before it all comes out right.

Be careful not to use too much lube on the sprue plate, that can cause your sitiation, too.

You don't mention your alloy but, adding a little tin will help with mold fill out. 2 ounces of tin to ten pounds of clip on wheel weights (COWW) is plenty. So almost about 2% tin.

[2bears]

I am sure my alloy is not dirty. I am using Lyman #2 brought from rotometals so I am sure it is clean. I have absolutely no crud on top, just the dull thin layer on top which I guess is a little tin separating from the lead. Although I do throw in a little sawdust just in case. I don't use anything that smokes like beeswax, paraffin or bullet lube because my wife screams what is that stinking burning smell.

[pjames32]

Maybe a little hotter mold and a longer time for the sprue to set up. I think you are close to very good bullets.

[Garyshome]

I drop into a 5 gal bucket about 1/2 full of water.